KTM 390
You’ve heard a lot about the KTM390 race bike in Moto America. That bike comes with adjustable race WP suspension. The rules of that spec class only allow you to change the springs and oil, nothing else.
This is the KTM390 street bike, different (cheaper) WP suspension, street exhaust, lights, etc.
The forks are non-adjustable, big piston style cartridge. The springs are weak progressively wound and there is almost no damping, just like the shock. When I give you the correct spring rate and valving, you won’t need adjusters.
Taking the forks apart I excepted to find a weak shim stack. Instead, I found a spring check valve system that explained the lack of damping. I put my Jim cap on and with a little this and a little that, shim stacks.
You can buy a cartridge kit for a thousand something or you can let me make what you already have work so well you won’t want the extra cost and weight of clickers. $560 to rebuild, build correct shim stacks and spring with straight rate springs.
Stay tuned for the shock report, I’m sure you’ll be shocked!
Too Much!
That was too much Lock-Tight boys, even if it was the blue kind.
You only need a small drop. It’s just filling the spaces between the threads like glue.
Victory At Last! #32
In Episode 32 of Deep Thinking, racers Ed Sorbo and Michael Gougis discuss the MotoGP race at Assen with a surprising amount of agreement, perhaps due to the fact that the conversation takes place while devouring a package of listener-provided Hickory Farms goodies. Having wheedled delicious food snacks out of the listeners, Gougis starts working on getting someone to send him an Aprilia, then offers a touching memory of his recently-departed mother.
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Heavy Duty Hanger
At both of my last two track weekends an old hanger broke under the weight of a set of leathers. I was thinking about ordering some heavy duty hangers till I looked at some aluminum from a different point of view.
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun #31
Construction of the Hoover Dam continued, a constant stream of large trucks dumping fifty tons of soil a minute, built an earth fill dam across the Colorado River, forcing its turbulent waters into two fifty-foot diversion tunnels on the Arizona canyon wall on Nov. 15, 1932. (AP Photo)
In Episode 31 of Deep Thinking, racers Michael Gougis and Ed Sorbo pick apart the tiny changes that make the difference between winning MotoGP races and finishing fourth. A discussion ensues about dam construction, salt, man caves and wine tasting. Sorbo warns Gougis not to pick on Tony Serra. Gougis makes a prediction about Cal Crutchlow winning MotoGP races and the death of the sun.
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What track was I at?
This photo was taken last Thursday at 8:32 pm. I held the phone at a 45 degree angle. Using this info as well as the position of the Crescent Moon and two Planets, tell me where Lindemann Engineering was set up for a weekend of racing.
Follow The Money #30
Racers Ed Sorbo and Michael Gougis discuss the pace of motorcycle technological development and what the next revolution will be. A discussion ensues about some of the more scandalous creative methods of financing race teams. Sorbo answers his phone during the podcast and tells the caller, “I’m in the middle of Deep Thinking!” Gougis comes up with a new and deeply disturbing use for a helmet-mounted GoPro …
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Trailer Suspension Table
Phase II of the Lindemann Engineering trailer set up is under way. In order to make it easier to work on forks and shocks at the track I need a suspension work station in the LE trailer. Smiling Albert Monge, owner and operator of Custom Steel Fabrication, did a great job. Tomorrow I paint. You can reach Albert at 760 912-7907 and/or amonge91@aol.com
Daytona, on the front row!
A friend sent me this photo today, it’s the grid sheet for the last AMA 250 GP race at Daytona, 2003. Yes, that’s me on the front row, just ahead of winner Rich Oliver. I had forgotten. So I pulled my notes from the race weekend, Q was rained out so the grid was based on points from the ‘02 season.
You have all heard me tell you to write it down. I have 10 pages of rider notes, 4 pages of bike notes and 16 pages of data from AMA Pro for that weekend.
You have all also heard me say that consistency matters more then your fastest lap time. Here are my lap times from the race, supplied by AMA Pro starting with lap two: 2:00.825, 00.550, 00.544, 00.772, 01.067, 00.786, 00.901, 00.366, 01.430, 01.293, 01.662, 01.833, 01.629, 00.532
That’s a spread of 1.467 seconds over 15 laps with a max difference from one lap to the next of 6 tenths. I’m not happy about that big difference, I’ll bet I had a good draft, then a poor draft.
My race notes say I lead into turn one, held 4th for a few laps, fought with Jeff Wood, Wood lost a silencer in the Chicane and pulled off, Colin Jensen went by on his crazy fast Aprillia, Perry Melneciuc caught up to me with two laps to go, I made a great pass on three back markers into T-6 and pulled a gap (the pass was on TV), Perry was right in my draft out the International Horseshoe on the last lap and I knew I had won. Crossed the line 0.015 seconds in front for 5th.
$1,550 from the $25,00 purse, $100 from Shoei, $100 from Galindo, $25 from VP. 50 guys showed up to race, 49 started, 48 finished.
My sponsors were: Bridgestone, Speed-Tune, Silkolene, EBC, Shoei, Barnett, RK, Air-Tech, Gericke, Oxstar, Held, Zero Gravity, Roadracing World, FMF and Lindemann Engineering.
Blue Ninja!
Ninja race body work for sale. Used only on weekends by an old man. Tony is turning his B bike back into a street ride. ’88 – ’07 250 Ninja. Upper, lower with catch, one piece tail. $500
Super load pipes for sale too but you have to promise not to use them on the street.
Call me 909 838-4587